The invention relates to an optoelectronic coupling element and a method for its production. The optoelectronic coupling element comprises a coupling part, which has coupling device for coupling light out of a light path into at least one light guide element and/or for coupling light out of the at least one light guide element into the light path, a component carrier with at least one optical semiconductor and deflector, for forming the light path between the coupling device and the at least one optical semiconductor, disposed on it.
Optoelectronic coupling elements of this type are used to establish a coupling between light-generating or light-receiving optoelectronic components and light-guiding elements, in particular optical waveguides. Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,463 (German patent DE 197 43 992 C1) discloses a method for producing an optoelectronic plug connector element and an optoelectronic plug. The known plug connector element contains an assembly module with two alignment pins, which during the fitting together of the plug connector element with an optical plug are inserted into holes that are formed in the optical plug, in order to achieve an adjustment of the optical waveguides arranged in the plug with regard to the optoelectronic component arranged on the component carrier. For this purpose, the optical waveguides are arranged lying opposite coupling device which couple into the optical waveguides light which has been generated by the optoelectronic component and conducted to the coupling device with the aid of deflector, or couples light out of the optical waveguides into the light path in the deflector, in order to conduct the light coupled out of the optical waveguides to the optoelectronic part, which in this case is designed as a receiver element. The deflector in this case comprise optical elements or components for conducting the light through with little loss, for example lenses or total reflection surfaces.
To ensure transmission of the light with as little loss as possible from the optoelectronic component to the coupling device and back, it is necessary for the coupling device, the deflector and the optoelectronic component or the component carrier to be arranged in a certain way in relation to one another.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an optoelectronic coupling element and a corresponding production method, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for an improved possibility of optimizing the light path between the coupling device and the optical semiconductors.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of producing an optoelectronic coupling element, the method which comprises the following steps:
providing a coupling part having a coupling device for coupling light out of a light path into at least one light guide element and/or for coupling light out of the at least one light guide element into the light path;
providing a component carrier having at least one optical semiconductor arranged thereon;
disposing and fixing a first optical deflector between the coupling part and the component carrier;
arranging a second optical deflector parallel to the first optical deflector to form a light path between the coupling device and the at least one optical semiconductor;
adjusting the second optical deflector by moving the second optical deflector relative to the first optical deflector, for optimizing a light path between the coupling device and the at least one optical semiconductor by minimizing a loss in conducting the light through; and
fixing the second optical deflector relative to the coupling part, the at least one optical semiconductor, and the first optical deflector.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, an optoelectronic coupling element, comprising:
a light guide device;
a coupling part having a coupling device for one of coupling light into the light guide device and coupling light out of the light guide device;
a component carrier carrying an optical semiconductor; and the light guide device forming a light path between the coupling device and the optical semiconductor, and having a
first optical deflector and a second optical deflector arranged parallel to the first optical deflector, the first and second deflectors being mountable separately from one another upon a production of the optoelectronic coupling element, whereby the light path is optimizable by adjustment of the second optical deflector relative to the parallel the first optical deflector.
The invention is based on the principal idea of designing the deflector used for forming the light path between the optical semiconductor and the coupling device in a multi-part form in such a way that, with the aid of an adjustment of the multi-part deflector, a light path optimized with regard to conducting the light through with little loss can be created when producing the optoelectronic coupling element.
In the case of the prior art optoelectronic coupling elements, usually the component carrier with the optical semiconductor is moved relative to the deflector to optimize the light path. However, this allows only a very restricted adjustment or optimization of the light path. The main advantage achieved by the invention in comparison with the prior art is that, with the aid of the relative movement of the optical deflector and the other optical deflector, a fine adjustment of the light path is made possible.
A major advantage is also that the proposed production method can be used in conjunction with customary component carriers, without the component carriers having to be modified in terms of structural design.
In addition, the multi-part form of the deflector makes it possible for the deflector to be used in conjunction with various coupling device and component carriers, certain parts of the deflector being usable for various coupling device or component carriers and other parts of the deflector being individually adaptable to the various coupling device or component carriers.
In accordance with an expedient development of the invention, after arranging the other optical deflector, a further optical deflector is disposed, in order to form a further light path between the coupling device and a further optical semiconductor on the component carrier, so that the optoelectronic coupling element can be designed as a transmitting/receiving element. This allows transceiver components to be produced with the aid of the proposed method.
A development of the invention provides that, after arranging the other and/or the further optical deflector, the component carrier is adjusted, in order to carry out a coarse adjustment of the light path between the coupling device and the at least one optical semiconductor and/or the further light path between the coupling device and the further optical semiconductor, whereby a further optimization of the light path or the further light path is made possible.
An embodiment of the invention preferred with regard to simple adjustment of the component carrier provides that the component carrier is passively adjusted with the aid of the projection arranged on the optical deflector, the projection being arranged in a recess formed on the component carrier.
In accordance with an advantageous feature of the invention, the other and/or the further optical deflector are displaced for adjustment substantially in one plane, whereby a greater accuracy of the adjustment can be achieved, since a relative movement of the other and/or the further optical deflector is restricted with respect to degrees of freedom which, when used in the adjustment, generally contribute only insignificantly to the optimization of the light path or the further light path.
An advantageous feature with regard to fixing the deflector which can be carried out with little effort and at low cost after the adjustment provides that an adhesive agent is applied for fixing the other and/or the further optical deflector in such a way that there is no impairment of the light path and/or the further light path.
An expedient development of the invention provides that, after the fixing of the other and/or the further optical deflector, adjusting means which are designed for adjusting the other and/or the further optical deflector are removed. The adjusting means have the effect on the one hand of creating the possibility of being able to move the other and/or the further optical deflector with sufficient accuracy during the adjustment. On the other hand, the adjusting means can be removed after completion of the adjustment and the fixing of the other and/or the further optical deflector, so that a design of the optoelectronic coupling element that is as compact as possible is enhanced.
An embodiment of the invention preferred with respect to least possible production effort provides that the adjusting means are removed by means of breaking off in the region of a predetermined breaking point from the other and/or the further optical deflector.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a optoelectronic coupling element and method for its production, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing figures.